How a Dream A Little Dream remake could work.

How a Dream A Little Dream remake could work.

With kicking off our second Two Coreys week, I decided to talk turkey over one of my favorite films these two tubular teen titans appeared in durning the glory days of the 1980's. 

Dream A Little Dream.

This was Feldman and Haim's third film they starred in together, which also marked not only the end of a wild decade, but sadly their unstoppable box office power they held at the time. Dream A Little Dream gets a lot of hate from people, but I personally really truly love it. Of course if I ever had to pick, The Lost Boys would of course win for best project they appeared in together. I'm sure for most, that would always be the winner. Still, License To Drive, and Dream A Little Dream are two highly underrated fun films that truly don't get enough love. Now I do know that Feldman and Haim appeared in several other projects together, but for the glory days of the 1980's. we're focusing on their first three films. 

Dream A Little Dream is a film I discovered when I was a little girl and developed a major crush on Corey Feldman. My mother and sister were cool enough to surprise me even by ordering both Dream A Little Dream, and Dream A Little Dream II for me on eBay. Here I received both movies on VHS and still own them to this day. My mother was so cool feeding into my obsession that she even tried briefly to get me Feldman's leather studded jacket he sports on the film's cover. (I found out that the jacket was actually stolen from Feldman years later at the club, ended up being bought at a flea market in Boston, and then returned back to Feldman. Look at that! Go figure!) I did get to see Feldman perform with his angels last summer, where he actually wore the same jacket while performing a song that was originaly supposed to appear on the film's soundtrack, so all in all pretty cool! 

Dream A Little Dream was yet another body-swap picture such as Big, 18 Again! Freaky Friday, Vice Versa, and Like Father Like Son. I feel Feldman said it best in his book from 2013 when he stated that the film's director, the late Marc Rocco was trying to do an art house film, and got some major talent such as actors like Jason Robards, Piper Laurie, and Harry Dean Stanton on board. Sadly the way they marketed this film, audiences were expecting another Two Coreys movie. Some bubblegum, pop teen romance. I mean look at the poster! Instead they got a very odd, confusing, and mature movie that was trying to be something it wasn't. I'll be the first to agree, the film's plot falls apart quickly, and took a basic idea, and just fell apart as the film continued onward. I feel had they tried to keep it simple, this movie would have been received better. It seemed a tad tacked on that Haim was in it (even though I've always enjoyed his appearance in this film, even though it's even less than a supporting role), and Feldman as adorable as he was in it, didn't have the strength to carry a whole film himself. I've never seen him as a leading man (no disrespect here) Back in the 80's he was one HELL of a supporting actor, but I never saw him as the romantic lead. Plus those dance movies tho...come on people. God bless him though, at least he even admitted how in the world does the old man who's in Feldman's body know all these current Michael Jackson movies? M-E-S-S!

Still, it is a cute enjoyable film with a nice little message, and one hell of a soundtrack. In fact I have many memories cranking this soundtrack as a kid with my sister. In fact I just recently found my copy and since seeing the Lifetime movie A Tale Of Two Coreys, I've been rocking out like it's 1989!

So today we're going to talk about how a remake of Dream A Little Dream could work.

Now I'm not about to get on my high horse and talk about remakes. Some work, some are awful, and some...well they are a good stand alone film. So many great 1980's movies have been remade and it's annoying. Some I downright refuse to watch (Footloose anyone?) But I'm always game if the movie does need a reboot. This is a film I could see being turned into a made for TV movie since films like this really don't have the box-office pull they used to (17 again anyone?) 

1) Fix the plot a little. 

- I mean, we're not trying to make Citizen Kane here, but one of Dream A Little Dream's biggest flaws was the fact the plot was a little mucky and all over the place. I would keep it simple. What kinda threw me off was all the scenes were Coleman would fall asleep and visit Bobby in the "dream" world. What was all this stuff about his wife half being in Lainie? Or that if she fell asleep he would lose her forever. WHAT? Also that ending? After all that running around we find that Bobby was just kidding? Ugh, too much. I would seriously straighten things out. Make it that both Coleman and his wife swap bodies and end up in Bobby and Lainie. Here we have two elderly people now as teenagers. I would start that their ecstatic. Their dream came true. They are young again! We show they are enjoying their new bodies and youth, but we then slow the set-backs. I would have their older bodies maybe are in comas, and the real Bobby and Lainie are trapped inside. Maybe it starts to weigh down on them that they stole these two teenagers bodies, and that they need to find a way to swap back and do the right thing. Of course show zany drama. Bobby being a bad-boy and Coleman having to clean up his act, and Lainie being in an relationship. I think the possibilities are endless. This could actually be a fun straight forward story.

2) Cast Elijah Marcano and Justin Ellings.

- I'll admit it. I enjoyed the HELL out of A Tale Of Two Coreys which aired back in January. Usually these bio Lifetime movies are a MESS. I was actually really stunned to see how dark, and well made this movie turned out to be, most of all with the casting. They really captured the book with both Coreys, and I could see these two playing the perfect Bobby and Dinger. But please for the love of GOD. Dye Ellings' hair red. That was the one thing that got me in the scene of the famous hotel trashing scene durning A Tale Of Two Coreys for the Dream A little Dream press tour. Also fix the dinger character rather than being just an add on character for comic relief. I think Elijah killed it as Feldman and I could see him carrying a film. Maybe tone down on the Michael Jackson stuff, and amp up the fact he's an old man trapped in a teenager's body. 

3) Keep it in the 1980's!

- As funny as it would be showing two elderly people trapped in teen's bodies in 2018 with all the modern technology, I feel a major pull/charm of this film was having it take place in the 80's. The original Dream A Little Dream oozed with 80's. In fact, some of the sets and costumes seemed a tad over done. Still, it captured that time pretty perfectly. I think it would be a fun way to honor that time, and have it stand apart from other current movies.

4) Make it air on Lifetime.

- Let's face facts. A film like this wouldn't do well unless it was made for Netflix (which actually isn't a bad idea!) but I feel with A Tale Of Two Coreys, this would make sense if they made it for this network. I mean they have remade some 80's movies before, why not this one? 

5) Cameos and honor Haim.

- What's a remade without cameos? I would seriously have fun with little cameos here and there. Maybe even have Corey Feldman appear as a teacher or something. Better yet maybe the girl's dance teacher? HA! Of course, I would have them honor Haim by dedicating the film in his name. I mean clearly he was having a very hard time when they originally filmed it, and it truly was the beginning of the end for his promising career and talent. I was lucky enough to have met both Coreys, and Haim's passing was a major bummer. Honor the man, and make a film he would have been proud of!

So thoughts? Yay or Nay?